Common environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns include polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), asbestos, lead, mold, and silica. In his talk on Wednesday at the AMPP Annual Conference + Expo from Nashville, Mark Drozdov referred to these five EHS hazards and risks as PALMS.

A hazard, according to Drozdov, is a potential source of injury, adverse health effect, or damage. He shared advice on handling EHS hazards such as PALMS. First, he emphasized that you should always test your assumptions. Next, he recommended changing the process to decrease a hazard.

An example he provided was from Franz Kafta, author of the book Metamorphosis, who worked for an insurance company as a safety professional. Kafta published information about changing the manufacturing design to decrease risk of finger loss. The new design didn’t eliminate the risk but significantly reduced it.

Another recommendation was to use pictograms to describe hazards, including the eight adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). By using these pictograms, Drozdov stated that you can avoid language barriers that may exist and help you avoid toxic materials coming into contact with people, food, and water.

Regulations and standards are currently decreasing the permissible exposure level of PALMS. Drozdov explained that companies needed to define their acceptable level of EHS risk and use multiple layers of protection. By doing that, as well as identifying the leading indicators—which are the events that lead up to the main hazard—you can improve your success.  

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